The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-23


one Of which. that which took place In
Bohemia, n very imperfectly understood In
England. and inferentially In the United
etatea. In Bohemia the desire for local SELF
government was necessarily ihseparable from
q determination to disodge the German aris-
tocracy and the German language. which had
for two centuries been dominant In that coun-
try. Unhappily for tho liberties Of Austro-
Hungary, the upheayal In Bohemia rapidly be-
came the centre OF Pan Bls vonic agitation. for
the Bohemian language had an offshoot In the
north OF Hungary In the sloyak tongue, which
In turn had close Affiliations with the South
Slsvonic dialects, spoken In Crotis and on tho
so-called Military Confines. Tho demands
Of the Bohemians, accordingly, were not limit
cd to reforms In the methods Of legislative gov
ernment but aimed also at the equalization OF
the Czech and German races IN respect OF edu-
cational facilities, and restoration Of the
whilome union between Bohemia, Moravia,
and Silesia. Acting upon the as.ute advice OF
his councillors, the Hapsburg Emperor ro-
oeiyed the lrst Bohemian deputstion with
marks OF peculiar favor, and thus laid basis
for that policy OF divide and conquer" which,
was to be made. up to 1866, successful.
The news Of tho viennese revolt was receivod|
in Milan on March II. and tho threatened Lom-|
bard instruction at once broke out Five days.
afterward, In spite Of the persistent and fero-
oious resistance OF Radically. the Austrians
were forced to evacuate the city, and tho
greater part Of Lombardy could look upon IT.
self as free. In Venice. the movement from
first to last centred in one man, Daniel Manin.
whom descent from the last Doge OF Venice. as
we'll as his sufferings In the popular cause, had
marked out for tho confidence and devotion OF
his countrymen. When on March 10 boat
from Trieste brought tho tidings OF tho foil OF
Metternich, the Venetians broke into the
prison and carried MANN homo upon their
shoulders. Six days later the Austrian com.
mandant. finding 1t impossible to control the
citizens, agreed to withdraw his troops. and
Venetian republic was proclaimed BY MANN In
tho Piazza Of San Marco.
The Significance of the first chapters OF this
memorable story which We have now followed
in detail is thus summed up BY Mr.. Maurice:
I'm the wonderful month Of March. 1S48. the
whole system OF Metternich had crumbled
to the ground. The German national
feeling which he had hoped to crush out was
ripening and embodying itself In definite
shape. Italy although to his mind geograph-
ical expression. had proved an entity OF suf-
flcient solidity and power to drive Radetsky
from Milan and Palry from Venice. For the
moment tho rivalry between the Bohemians
and Germans Of tho Austrian empire seemed
merged In a common desire for liberty; and
the Hungarian opposition, which Mstterntch
had helped to manipulate. had shaken him
from office. and had secured liberty to Vienna
and practical independence to Hungary" OF
the terrible divisions and rivalries which were
to undermine the new fabric OF liberty. tho rec
ord is reserved for the subsequent chapters,
which constitute, however, rather less than half
Of the narrative. To those We must recur
hereafter.
mother words. tho European revolution Of
1848 WAS drama In three acts, which might
be respectively entitled faith. elation. and dis
appointment. But for despair there was no
room in 1t, since. although that mighty move
ment had It's martyrs as well as heroes, Its
victims did not fall In vain. for to them may be
directly traced and should be universally At
tributed BY far the largest share Of honor for
the measure OF constitutional liberty which IL
enjoyed to-day in Continental Europe. from
Bucharest to Madrid and from Rome to Co
penhagen. ID. VIII.